Ah can’t wait for this one. Should be a THRILLER as the Red Wings have only lost 9-straight while the Islanders are 5th in the NHL. What could go wrong for the Wings in this one? Let’s find out.
1st Period
Varlamov vs. Bernier. Cizikas vs. Ehn. Fire Blashill. And off we go from LCA. Red Wings get the first few chances as the Fabbri-AA-Filppula line made some noise in front of Varlamov, but no luck. Helm now takes the first penalty of the game as he fires the puck over the glass. Brock Nelson split all four D-man and fired a wrist shot on what could have been a breakaway and Bernier made the save with the pillows. Think Nelson was surprised at how easily he got through everyone. Red Wings just miss a breakaway short-handed as the pass to LGD at center was just out of his reach. Red Wings kill it off pretty easily outside of the Nelson chance. Larkin now steals one down low, passes out for AA who dangled one too many times and didn’t score. Now Larkin out front, and he’s denied by Varlamov. And now the Islanders score. A great pass from behind the net went right through Biega, in front of Bernier and Anders Lee was there to roof it. 1-0 Islanders. Athanasiou has some jump in his step tonight, just felt like noting that. Red Wings continue to turn it over in their own zone and twice the Islanders just miss an open net. 1st TV timeout comes with 8:47 left in the 1st.
Red Wings PP out of the break as Beauvilier gets called for hooking. Love seeing Zadina on that top PP unit. However I don’t love seeing the Red Wings PP as they still are awful. Aaaaaand out of the box Beauvilier scores on a breakaway. Nice. 2-0 Islanders. The score really isn’t indicative of how this game has gone as majority of this game has been spent in the Islanders zone. Just not a lot of Grade-A chances for the Wings. Bertuzzi blocked a Boychuk slapper. Ouch. He skated off gingerly and eventually went down the tunnel. Boychuk now is going to the box for hooking so the Red Wings PP has another shot coming out of the break. 2nd TV timeout with 3:24 left.
FSD comes back out of the break showing Bert back on the bench, so a very good sign there. First chance on the PP is a 2-on-1 for the Islanders that ended up being a great chance for Clutterbuck, but a better save by Bernier. Red Wings ice it now. No shots for the Wings on the PP as they don’t have a shot in over 6 minutes now. Final TV timeout with 1:17 left. Nothing special happened between that and the end of the period. Red Wings are still losing.
Shots: 12-9 DET
Score: 2-0 NYI
2nd Period
Slowish start to the 2nd. Larkin had a decent chance from a short angle, but still he struggles finding the back of the net. Islanders take a penalty for high-sticking now, Anders Lee the guilty man. Hronek is bleeding too, but somehow Lee only gets two-minutes. Wtf. Wow the Red Wings PP is just so bad. 0/3 now tonight. 1st TV timeout.
ANOTHER Islanders penalty. Toews for delay of game. PLEASE JUST DECLINE IT. Zadina finally gets teed up for a one-timer, but no one was screening in front and Varlamov made the save. Fabbri now wrists one wide and of course it goes off the boards and all the way back down the ice. Shots are 18-10 Detroit might I add. That was the best PP yet as they were set up in the zone for probably 90 seconds of it, but still no luck in beating Varlamov. Larkin now gets tripped on a possible breakaway so, you guessed it, we get to watch the Red Wings PP again. Could it finally happen tonight?! Stay tuned. 2nd TV timeout.
RED WINGS POWERPLAY SCORES NINE SECONDS IN. Larkin picked up a rebound after Zadina sent a great snap pass to Bert on the back door, who angled it off Varlamov instead of in the net, and Larkin picked up the rebound to finally score his first goal in 10 games. 2-1 Islanders. Shots now 11-1 this period in favor of Detroit. Red Wings really controlling the game now as even Adam Erne is getting good chances. Varlamov is playing well. Final TV timeout as the teams are starting to mix it up after whistles now.
And now the Red Wings get called for a penalty. It’s the worst player, and contract, on the team, Frans Nielsen, guilty of interfering with Barzal. Easy call. He stinks. Get rid of him. And now Nemeth interferes with Barzal for NO REASON so 1:28 of 5-on-3 coming up. And they score with Nielsen coming out of the box. Jordan Eberle after a long string of chances for the Isles picks it up at the side of the net and scores. His first in 17 games. 3-1 Isles. That goal really tilted the ice in favor of New York as it feels like they haven’t left the Red Wings zone since. Red Wings survive the attack as we hit the 2nd intermission. Need a big 3rd or this losing streak hits 10.
Shots: 23-15 DET
Score: 3-1 NYI
3rd Period
Alright here we go. Filppula and AA get a 2-on-1 but Fil waited way too long to pass it and AA got in to deep to do anything with it. ANOTHER Islanders penalty as Hronek gets taken down by Koivula. However, the refs missed like two interference calls the Red Wings got away with. Oh well, guess we’ll take it. Bertuzzi makes a nice couple of moves to hit Fabbri in the high slot and he shot it right into Varlamov’s logo. Nielsen with a chance in front and shockingly he couldn’t score. Hronek one-timer now off the post and all the way back down into the Wings end. PP now 1/6. Red Wings continuing to pressure well, but credit the Islanders for preventing good chances from Detroit all night. I stand corrected. Holy chances now for the Wings and Varlamov is standing on his head. Top line doing work and it ends with Varlamov on his back reaching across his body to glove Bertuzzi down from the side of the net. 1st TV timeout.
Islanders waking up a bit now, and Bernier is answering the call. Game’s pace is picking up with under 9 minutes to go. Red Wings top line now buzzing in the Isles zone once again with Bertuzzi getting another great chance in front only to be saved by Varlamov. So Eberle scores after a mad scramble in front, but the refs wave it off due to goalie interference. And oh no. They overturned it. Good goal. 4-1 Islanders. Eberle has two, and the Red Wings losing streak will hit double digits. Under 5 to go in the game now and we hit the 2nd TV timeout.
Boychuk and LGD mixing it up behind the play because LGD takes a penalty for boarding. Final TV timeout with 3:17 left. Larry and Keating pumping us full of what the Wings do well now before resuming play. Clearly a lot as the losing streak hits 10. The record is 17 and I hate to say it but actually think it’s reachable from this team. Wings kill one, take another. Filppula for high sticking. Islanders just run the clock out. Red Wings lose 4-1. Please for the love of god fire that sad excuse for a coach already.
Shots: 31-25 DET
Score: 4-1 NYI
